by Andrew Alonzo | calendar@claremont-courier.com

What’s Happening Claremont? 

Friday, January 27

• Today is the deadline for submissions to the City of Claremont and Claremont Unified School District’s 33rd annual Making Change contest. Kindergarteners through high school seniors who live in or attend school in Claremont can honor human rights and social justice activists through letters, essays, multimedia presentations, or group works for the contest. Entries should be submitted to ci.claremont.ca.us/makingchange. More information is available by calling (909) 399-5490.

• Registration opens today for the Claremont Helen Renwick Library’s 10:30 a.m. February 3 book club for adults at the library, 208 N. Harvard Ave., Claremont. The club will discuss “Her Hidden Genius” by Marie Benedict, which is available to check out at catalog.lacountylibrary.org. For details go to visit.lacountylibrary.org/events.

• The Upland Chamber of Commerce’s Taste of Inland Empire returns to the DoubleTree by Hilton, 555 W. Foothill Blvd., Claremont, from 6 to 10 p.m. with numerous samplings of restaurants and food vendors. Tickets, $100 for single admission and $180 for dual, are available at uplandchamber.org/events, click “The Taste of the I.E.” Call (909) 204-4465 for more info.

Saturday, January 28

• Find organic and chemical-free produce from local urban farms, books and more at the Pomona Valley Certified Farmers Market, held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the corner of Pearl Street and Garey Avenue in Pomona. For more information, visit pomonacfa.org.

• The public is invited to a joint meeting of the Claremont Planning and Police commissions to discuss potential amendments to the city’s existing hotel/motel ordinance at 10 a.m. in Pomona College’s Rose Hill Theatre, 170 E. Sixth St., Claremont. Commissioners will direct staff on the contents of an amended draft ordinance to bring back to the planning commission for a recommendation. Residents can attend the meeting virtually. Details on how to attend and submit questions can be found at ci.claremont.ca.us.

• The Friends of the Claremont Helen Renwick Library is calling all poetry lovers to its first fourth Saturdays poetry reading of 2023. At 2 p.m. Amy Shimshon-Santo, author of “Catastrophic Molting” and “Even the Milky Way is Undocumented,” and Brendan Constantine, whose work includes “Dementia, My Darling” and “Bouncy Bounce,” will read. Readings take place in person at the Claremont Helen Renwick Library, 208 N. Harvard Ave. For more info, visit facebook.com/fourthsaturdayspoetry.

• The Waterwise Community Center, a program of the Chino Basin Water Conservation District, will put on a free rainwater harvesting class at 4594 San Bernardino St., Montclair, from 9 a.m. to noon. The class will explore practical, low-cost approaches to capturing rain at home and explain infiltration basins, rain gardens, swales, berms, rain barrels, and cisterns. Although free, attendees must reserve a spot prior to coming. Register at eventbrite.com, search “rainwater harvesting for home.” For more details, visit cbwcd.org.

Sunday, January 29

• To help children practice bike handling, road safety skills and more, Sustainable Claremont will host a bike rodeo from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sycamore Elementary School, 225 W. Eighth St. Children will have an opportunity to get their bikes checked by mechanics from Jax Bicycle Center, learn how to change a flat, and can win bike gear. Activities for non-riders will include a learn to ride area. For more information visit sustainableclaremont.org.

• Explore works by ceramicist Christina Erives and create a food sculpture at the American Museum of Ceramic Art’s food fiesta. The event begins at 11 a.m., is open to all ages and is $15 which includes admission to the museum, 399 N. Garey Ave., Pomona, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a paying adult. Nonmembers must register at amoca.org/events. The event is free for AMOCA members, who are asked to email membership@amoca.orgto ensure space is available. For info, call (909) 865-3146.

• Nick Gomez plays a free three hour concert beginning at 2 p.m. at College Center, 665 E. Foothill Blvd., Claremont. To view the monthly lineup of shows or for more information, visit jazzatcollegecenter.com.

Monday, January 30

• Claremont McKenna College’s Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, at 385 E. Eighth St., resumes its free and open to the public speaker series today with Pardis Mahdavi’s “Women, Life, Freedom: Inside Iran’s New Revolution.” Drawing on over two decades of research on sexual politics in Iran as well as her personal experiences with the “morality police,” Mahdavi, a professor of anthropology at the University of Montana, will discuss the dramatic changes happening in Iran. For more information visit cmc.edu/athenaeumor call (909) 621-8244.

• The Democratic Club of Claremont meets from 7 to 9 p.m. at Pilgrim Place’s Napier Room, 660 Avery Rd., for a talk from Andrew Turner, general consultant for Claremont City Council member Jed Leano’s 2022 re-election campaign, on “How we elect Democrats in red areas, and the right Democrats in blue areas.” For details or to join the club, visit demsofclaremont.org.

Tuesday, January 31

• The community is invited to a free 11 a.m. virtual author talk with Randall Munroe, author of “What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.” For details or to register go to visit.lacountylibrary.org.

• The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association will hold its 2023 winter mixed sale at noon in the Pomona Fairplex’s Derby Room, 2201 N. White Ave., with person and online bidding at ctba.com/ctba-2023-winter-mixed-sale. Follow the link to view the catalog. For more information visit fairplex.com.

• A community information meeting regarding the Golden Streets Heart of the Foothills takes place at 6 p.m. at the Alexander Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Rd., Claremont. The event, an open street experience for pedestrians to walk, jog, skate, bike and more, will take place Sunday, April 23 in Pomona, Claremont, La Verne, and San Dimas, during which some Claremont streets, including First Street, College Avenue, and Arrow Highway, will partially close to vehicle traffic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The series is organized by ActiveSGV, a San Gabriel Valley-based nonprofit. More details are at ci.claremont.ca.us.

Wednesday, February 1

• The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is partnering with Los Angeles County Library to provide free flu and COVID-19 vaccines and updated bivalent boosters to those 6 months of age and older. Vaccines will be distributed at the Claremont Helen Renwick Library, 208 N. Harvard Ave., Claremont, from 1 to 3 p.m. No health insurance is required. To register go to visit.lacountylibrary.org.

• On the first of each month, the Service Center for Independent Life hosts a virtual women’s Asperger’s support group from 6:30 to 8 p.m. To register for the free group, visit meetup.com/womensasgroup.

• Writers offer responses to each other’s works at the Joslyn Center, 660 N. Mountain Ave., Claremont, during a free 9:45 a.m. writing workshop, held on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Call (909) 399-5488 to join.

Thursday, February 2

• The public is invited to the DoubleTree by Hilton, 555 W. Foothill Blvd., Claremont, at 11:30 a.m. for the state of the city address, a presentation by Claremont Mayor Ed Reece and City Council members. Admission, which includes lunch, is $45 for Claremont Chamber of Commerce members and $55 for non-members. Call (909) 624-1681 for more info.

• A financial literacy group will meet at the Joslyn Center, 660 N. Mountain Ave., Claremont, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. For more details call (909) 399-5488.

• Comedy and conversation is the focus of this season’s Scripps Presents programming, beginning at 7 p.m. today with comedian, writer, and Netflix contributor Mo Amer, whose work includes “Mo Amer: The Vagabond,” and “Mo,” a recounting of his life as a Palestinian refugee and his journey to United States citizenship. The free and open to the public show will take place at the Garrison Theater, 231 E. 10th St., Claremont. Reserve a spot at eventbrite.com, search “Mo Amer.” For more info, visit scrippscollege.edu/events.

• The public is invited to the first Claremont Unified School District Board of Education meeting of the month. Regular meetings at the district office, 170 W. San Jose Ave., begin with a closed session at 6:30 p.m. and are followed by the public portion, usually about 7 p.m., unless otherwise indicated. Click cusd.claremont.edu/board to view the agenda and other information or call (909) 398-0609.

Friday, February 3

• The Con Gioia Early Music Ensemble will present “Inspired by Goethe,” a free and open to the public concert at Scripps College’s Balch Auditorium, 1030 Columbia Ave., Claremont. The program includes German music based on texts by poet, playwright, and novelist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Doors open at noon and attendees are required to wear masks. For more information call (909) 624-0638 or visit congioia.org.

• Laugh out loud in support of the Claremont High School Theater Department with tonight’s Comedy Sportz high school league match at 7 p.m. in the Don F. Fruechte Theater for the Performing Arts, 1601 N. Indian Hill Blvd. Tickets are $8 and are available at onthestage.tickets. For more details follow the link or call (909) 624-9053, ext. 304.

• Pierre Englebert, better known as Not a Moment Too Soon, or NAM2S, will perform at 7 p.m. tonight and 8 p.m. Saturday, February 4, at Ophelia’s Jump Production’s Music Lounge, 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite H, Upland. Tickets are $10 and are available at opheliasjump.org/ojp-music-lounge or by calling (909) 734-6565.

• The 31st annual Ussachevsky Memorial Festival of Electroacoustic Music begins at 8 p.m. in the Thatcher Music Building, 340 N. College Ave., Claremont. This year’s free and open to the public festival features two concerts and includes music by Rachel Beetz, Brett Copeland, Avner Finberg, and more, as well as performances by Stacey Fraser, soprano; Sarah Thornblade, violin; Cynthia Fogg, viola; Rachel Beetz, flute; and Stephen Klein, euphonium. Performances begin at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday, February 4. For details visit pomona.edu/events.

Saturday, February 4

• A free and open to the public workshop from the City of Claremont’s Committee on Human Relations, “Let’s start with civility,” runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Alexander Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Rd. The goal of the workshop is to demonstrate how to remain civil when disagreements on controversial topics arise, and will include case studies, videos, role-playing exercises, and light refreshments. The deadline to register is Wednesday, February 1. For details, call (909) 399-5356 or email mcastillo@ci.claremont.ca.us.

• BookEnders, an Upland-based book club, meets at 10 a.m. at the Upland Public Library, 450 N. Euclid Ave., to discuss “The Nesting Dolls,” by Alina Adams, who will make a special appearance. For more details on the free group, visit uplandca.gov/adult-programsor call (909) 931-4202.

• Join the American Museum of Ceramic Art, 399 N. Garey Ave., Pomona, for a 11:30 a.m. Spanish-language tour of the exhibition “Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay,” led by AMOCA’s exhibition manager Pam Aliaga. The exhibit celebrates 44 artists who have defined and redefined ceramics over the past 100 years. General admission is $14 but Pomona residents pay just $7 with proof of residency. Those attending will also be granted AMOCA gallery admission for the day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. To register or learn more, visit amoca.org/events.

• Browse artwork around the city as various businesses and museums participate in the Claremont Art Walk, held the first Saturday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m. More details will appear in next week’s Courier. Questions? Email claremontartwalkinfo@gmail.com.